How to Choose a Labrador Breeder

1. Find a breeder that breeds not just for “color”, but for genetic soundness, good temperament, and conformation to breed standard. If not, you may end up with an aggressive or hyper temperament, or a dog that succumbs to premature death. All pups are cute…but what kind of dog will you end up spending 15 years with???

Just because a dog has “papers” or is “AKC registered” does not make it a good dog. This merely means the dog’s parents are in the AKC registry (the AKC does not police QUALITY, they are only a registry!), …anybody can put two dogs together who have AKC registration, but they can be horrible specimens of a labrador! Hint: if all a newspaper ad can say is “shots, wormed…” that’s pretty pitiful if that’s all you can say about your pups!

​2. Unless you are going to be doing high- stress, professional field trial competition, look for a lab with “English” bloodlines. American Field lines are a little different in temperament. The American field dogs can be hyper, high-strung, and do not always make the best indoor pets. Not ALL American labs are like this. But in “general” you may see this difference. If you are looking to do high stress field trial competition, a field lab may be what you want. But for a real laid back, “fireside” lab that sits at your feet, you may find the English labs a little more close to that description. The English labs are mild, sweet, quiet dogs which still maintain a playful attitude and have the natural retriever instinct, but these labs are sure to be good companion dogs that you can absolutely trust and enjoy in any circumstance. The English labs are also a little different in build than the field labs. (see our article on our “about labradors” page of this site)

3. Don’t buy the lab that is “closest in distance”, or “the cheapest in the newspaper”…this is the WORST criteria to determine the quality of Labrador you will have to live with for 12-15 years! Choose a breeder who has been breeding labs to improve the breed, who is selecting excellent breeding stock, and who is doing CERF and OFA clearances (hips/eyes). If you call a “breeder”, ask, “what was your purpose in breeding this litter?” If they say, “to get chocolates, or “to let our kids enjoy the experience”, or because they “love their dog” (commonly called “hobby breeders)”…these are poor excuses. If you ask if their dogs are OFA and CERF and they say “huh?????” HANG UP!!!! Or if they just say “yeah”, ask “what was the hip rating on the sire of dam of this litter?” Remember…even if you are just looking for a “pet” you don’t need to give up a good temperament and genetic soundness for the possibility of a poor temperament and a crippled or blind lab in the first year (literally!) Who wants to fall in love with a new family companion, just to have the heartbreak of death, serious illness, or premature euthanasia because of poor attention paid to the breeding of the dog? The extra $100-200 is worth it in the end…you’ll pile up hundreds or thousands of dollars in vet bills if you “skimp” on your initial investment of the “right dog”!

4. Ask if the pup comes with a health guarantee and what this includes. Most “hobby breeders” who have lower priced dogs will not do this, thus, the price is lower. Plus, they are not investing in testing for genetic clearances or investing in the most excellent of breeding stock. The breeder should be doing health clearances for hips and elbows (OFA), eyes (CERF, Optigen, AVCO), heart clearance, NARC clearance, and EIC (exercise induced collapse) clearance. If they say “what is that???” or “my vet says my dogs is fine” or “my pups never had problems” hang up…its just excuses, or they don’t want to know if their dogs carry these problems, or they are cutting corners ($$$) and not doing these clearances.

The Difference in Price?

Like fine wine!

Prospective puppy buyers may ask “Why are the pups so expensive? “Why are those newspaper puppies so cheap?”

The following comparison is a hypothetical, but very typical of what we see all too often. Although not every breeder who charges higher prices is reputable and ethical, pet buyers should keep looking until they find one that is. Those buyers who respect the quality and excellence are wonderful customers and become “partners” in this hobby.

Professional Breeder– Both the sire and dam of this pup come from top quality breeding stock which was developed over years and years of selective and knowledgeable breeding. Both meet the requirement of the written AKC standard for the breed in conformation as well as temperament. Each has a pedigree, which has been studied and thoroughly researched. These dogs have been selected to breed to each other because they can both contribute to the excellence of the breed, plus complement one another.

Backyard Breeder– The dam of the litter was purchased from the local pet store, came from a puppy mill. She was sick off and on the first year of life due to many types of intestinal parasites and malnutrition. The sire, an over-sized male, lives down the street and was purchased from an ad in the paper. Neither owner has ever heard of the AKC or LRC written standard, neither owner has seen a written pedigree. The female is skittish and snappy, and her owners hope that having a litter will “calm her down”.

Professional Breeder– Before this breeding ever took place, both male and female had extensive genetic tests, including OFA, CERF, Optigen, NARC, and Heart Clearance. Only a good or excellent OFA rating was accepted. (no “poor” or “fair” please!) The health of her pups is guaranteed.

Backyard Breeder– the breeder is often unaware of genetic problems within the breed. Trips to the vet , except for dire emergencies or shots are considered “too expensive”. The breeders hope is to make money off the puppies and “get back what I paid for the mother dog”. Puppies are usually sold with no guarantee.

Professional Breeder– The breeder wishes to maintain a good reputation. His goal is to produce beautiful and sound specimens, which anyone would be proud to own. Profit, if any is made, goes toward future breedings, always aimed toward the betterment of the breed, or for show entries, handler’s fees, new equipment and important veterinary tests. Both the mother and pups are fed the highest quality diet. Many trips to the vet assure him that mother and pups are thriving under the very best care. The pups are raised in a busy part of the house where they are socialized, groomed and exposed to different kinds of stimuli. They are touched and talked to, cuddled and even sung to. They are never sold before they are seven weeks old. Every buyer must be screened.

Backyard Breeder– These puppies are born in a box, in the garage and receive little care other than what the mother gives. To cut costs they are weaned on generic dog food and allowed to nurse on the mother as long as possible to keep food bills down. The bitch’s health declines rapidly due to poor health and some pups are weak and runty. They are sold as quickly as possible because advertising and vaccines are expensive. They are usually not even sold until after they are 8 weeks old. They are sold to anyone who has the cash. If the new owner is lucky he may receive a AKC or CKC registration application. Although the puppy is of very poor quality, it is always sold with full breeding rights. The new owner usually disappears with the pup, never to be seen again. If the market is not good, the breeder takes the leftover pups to the local pet shop.